Season 2 of One Piece does not simply follow the events of the manga and anime directly. The Netflix series also features characters that become relevant later. In just a few seconds, the first episode reveals what an important character has been up to 27 years ago.
Warning: There are minor spoilers regarding a character who becomes relevant in the anime and manga long after the events of the series.
Which character is it about? While Season 2 of One Piece roughly adheres to the story of the manga and anime, it already showcases some characters who appear later. Alongside Brook and Bartolomeo, an important childhood friend of Luffy is shown: Sabo.
Showing him is not just pure fan service; the series also clarifies what the character was doing 27 years ago while Luffy began his adventure.
The really first reunion
What happens in the scene? As in the anime and manga, the revolutionary Dragon saves Luffy from Smoker, against whom the Straw Hats have no chance. Afterwards, Dragon is seen again reacting to Luffy’s life as a pirate in the rain. This alone is a legendary scene, as it is still suspected that Dragon is somehow linked to the storm in Logue Town.
However, the Netflix series alters the scene slightly. Even in Episode 1 of Season 2, Dragon speaks about Luffy’s ambition in the rain, but another character appears in the background for a few seconds. It is Sabo.
His first appearance was actually in 2010 in manga chapter 583. There, a flashback of Luffy’s childhood is shown, and that is where he meets him. This takes place nearly 11 years after the manga arc in Logue Town. He actually had his first appearance as an adult only in chapter 731 in 2013.
Thus, the Netflix series shows that Sabo was already working as a revolutionary for Dragon back then. In the manga and anime, he later becomes the number 2 of the organization, but it is unclear whether he was that in Logue Town.
Fans had already speculated in the past that Sabo was in Logue Town. A panel in chapter 99 shows the back of a character wearing a similar hat as Sabo. In chapter 98, a similar character is seen while Luffy lies at the guillotine thanks to Buggy.
One can thus also assume that Sabo has already met Luffy again in Logue Town. Their reunion in the Dressrosa arc is later a pretty emotional moment.
The live-action adaptation of One Piece on Netflix could also take different directions in the future compared to the manga source. They have already revealed that there will be a different ending: The creator of One Piece knows exactly when the series on Netflix should end – what would be the perfect arc?
